Unitary safety cap



March 5, 1968 E. D. VELT 3,371,808

UNITARY SAFETY CAP Filed Aug. 1, 1966 I N VENTOR.

United States Patent M The present invention relates to closures for bottles and more particularly to a safety closure or cap providing in accordance with the primary object of the invention a device which may be manipulated in a specific fashion to cause removal of the cap from the bottle so that children may not readily have access to the contents of the bottle and others will be forewarned that the contents may be harmful if used inadvertently.

Ordinarily safety caps having the advantages referred to above have comprised a plurality of components requiring assembly and, therefore, even though the components may 'be inexpensively molded of plastic material, the assembly procedure has caused an element of expense in the ultimate production of these caps.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a safety cap which is of unitary construction comprising but a single moldable plastic element.

In pursuance of the foregoing objective, the present invention provides as a unit a stopper section and a means for facilitating the removal of the stopper from a bottle mouth. To the extent that the present invention includes a stopper element, the invention is related to that disclosed in my copending application filed concurrently herewith in which there is disclosed and claimed a combined stopper and cap assembly requiring specific manipulation of the cap to effect coengagement thereof with the stopper so that the stopper may be pulled.

As contrasted with the invention of the above identified copending application, the present invention provides a stopper which is formed as an integral part of the cap and the cap is so constructed that it may be manipulated to effect withdrawal of the stopper from the mouth of the bottle. However, in the absence of such specific manipulation, the device of the present invention resembles in all outward appearances a typical bottle cap adapted to be removed by simple left-hand rotation. The structure of the present invention, however, is such that simple rotation will not remove the cap but, instead, it will merely revolve relative to the bottle, remaining thereon inasmuch as in order to remove the cap an axial force must be imparted to the stopper to withdraw it from the mouth of the bottle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described or will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel features of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the unitary cap of the present invention applied to a typical bottle;

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, but showing the cap in a partial stage of stopper withdrawal; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view as taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Like reference characters in the several views of the drawing and in the following description designate corresponding parts.

For illustrative purposes, the present invention is shown as comprising a unitary cap device, generally denoted at 1, which is applicable to a typical bottle B, having at its upper end a threaded neck 2, the neck being provided with a mouth opening 3 and an external thread 4 on which the usual cap would normally be applied.

The cap 1 comprises an outer cylindrical side wall 5 and an end wall 6. Centrally of the end wall 6 and within the side wall 1 is a stopper formed integral with the un- 3,371,808 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 dersurface of the end wall 6 and comprising a cylindrical body 7 adapted to fit within the mouth opening 3 of the bottle. In the illustrative embodiment the body 7 is shown as loosely fitting within the mouth opening 3, but it will be understood that the body 7 may be of any desired diameter, such as, for example, a diameter which will bring the outer periphery of the body into frictional coengagement with the bottle wall defining the mouth opening 3.

At its lower end the cylindrical body 7 is provided with means which project outwardly relative to the mouth of the bottle so as to engage beneath an internal shoulder 8 within the bottle below the neck of the latter, such means being resiliently deformable upon the application of axial force to the cap so as to allow withdrawal of the stopper from the bottle neck.

More particularly, the resilient deformable means comprises a pair of downwardly and outwardly extended arms 9 terminating in further outwardly extended end flanges 10 adapted, as shown in FIG. 1, to abut with the internal shoulder 8 of the bottle. It will also be noted that the axial distance between the opposing surface of the flanges 10 on the arms 9 and the undersurface of the end wall 6 of the cap is preferably slightly less than the axial distance between the shoulder 8 on the bottle and the extreme end surface of the neck 2 so that the resilient arms 9 will also normally impose an axial force on the cap tending to hold the undersurface of end wall 6 in sealing contact with the upper end of the bottle neck.

In the illustrative embodiment there are a pair of arms 9 shown as being located at diametrical locations and extending arcuately approximately 90. However, any

desired number of arms may be employed, or other resiliently deformable means integral with the cylindrical body 7 may be employed so as to normally retain the cap against displacement or withdrawal from the bottle neck 3 unless substantial axial force is applied to the cap. Preferably, the force required to deform the arms 9 would be suflicient to preclude the simple withdrawal of the stopper by small children. In addition, the force required to effect such withdrawal combined with the usual smooth surface characteristic of molded plastic should be such that simple withdrawal of the stopper by older children and adults is rather difficult.

Means are provided to facilitate the withdrawal of the stopper upon manipulation of the cylindrical side wall 5 of the cap combined with relative rotation of the cap and bottle. Accordingly, it will be noted that the cylindrical side wall 5 internally thereof is provided with a lug 11 projecting radially inward. In addition, it will be noted that the side wall 5 is relieved as at 12 so as to render a region thereof comparatively easily inwardly flexible. Externally of the wall 5 at the location of the inward projection 11 there is herein illustrated a slight outward projection designated 13, the latter serving as means indicative of the location of the inwardly flexible section of the side wall 5, whereby to enable the appli cation of laterally deforming pressure to such location when it is desired to withdraw the stopper.

Lateral inward deflection of the side wall 5 in the region of the inward projection 11 will cause the projection to move inwardly so as to engage the upper surface of the thread 4 on the bottle neck. Consequently, when the side wall is held in a deformed condition, relative rotation of the cap 1 and bottle B will cause a camming action between the thread and the projection 11 and, as the latter rides up the helical thread, an axial force will be imposed on the cap which will withdraw the stopper from the bottle neck to the extent that the arms 9 will be inwardly resiliently deformed as shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the stopper may be relatively easily withdrawn by simple relative axial separation from the bottle.

In effect, it will be appreciated that the projection 11 constitutes one side of a female thread having a normal position spaced from the male thread on the bottle neck, but under radial deforming pressure applied to the side wall of the cap being movable into engagement with the bottle neck thread 4. The other side of the female thread, of course, is non-existent in the illustrative embodiment and preferably would not be employed inasmuch as it is contemplated that the thread or camming action would be unnecessary to apply the cap.

In order to apply the cap it is only necessary to engage one of the resilient arms 9 with a side of the bottle mouth in the mouth opening 3 with the top disposed at an angle to the axis of the bottle mouth and apply a deforming pressure tending to flex such arm 9 laterally inward relative to the axis of the cap until the end of the other resilient arm 9 can be moved into the open bottle mouth. Following this, the stopper and bottle axes may be aligned whereupon the stopper may be forced fully into the bottle mouth until the undersurface of the end wall 6 abuts with the outer end of the bottle neck, at which time the resilient arms 9, and more particularly the end flanges thereof, will engage with the internal bottle shoulder 8 so as to hold the undersurface of the end wall 6 in sealing contact with the upper end of the bottle.

While specific structural details have been shown and described, it should be understood that changes and alterations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary safety bottle cap, comprising: a cylindrical side wall and an end wall; a stopper having a body within said side wall and integral with the undersurface of said end wall; said stopper being adapted to be disposed within the mouth of a bottle having an external thread; said stopper having depending therefrom outwardly projecting resiliently deformable means engageable within the bottle to resist withdrawal of said stopper; and means internally of said side wall and normally spaced laterally outwardly from said thread and movable inwardly for cooperative engagement with said thread for imposing an axial stopper withdrawing force to said cap responsive to such inward movement of said means and relative rotation of said bottle and said cap.

2. A unitary safety bottle cap as defined in claim 1, wherein said means internally of said side wall comprises a lug constituting one side of a female thread.

3. A unitary safety bottle cap as defined in claim 1, wherein said side wall in the vicinity of said means is resiliently inwardly deformable.

4. A unitary safety bottle cap as defined in claim 1, wherein said means internally of said side wall comprises a lug constituting one side of a female thread, and said side wall'in the vicinity of said lug having a reduced cross sectional thickness so as to be resiliently inwardly deformable.

5. A unitary safety bottle cap as defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient deformable means comprises a plurality of fingers integral with said stopper and having portions projecting outwardly therefrom.

6. A unitary safety bottle cap as defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient deformable means comprises a plurality of fingers integral with said stopper and having portions projecting outwardly therefrom; said fingers having end flanges provided with a surface engageable with an internal shoulder in said bottle; said surface of said end flanges and the undersurface of said end wall being spaced apart a distance less than the distance between said shoulder in said bottle and the end of the neck of' said bottle.

7. A unitary safety bottle cap as defined in claim 1, wherein said side wall has indicating means thereon at the location of said inwardly movable means.

8. In combination, a unitary safety bottle cap and a bottle having a neck provided with an opening; said cap comprising a cylindrical side wall and an end wall; said end wall internally of said side wall having a cylindrical stopper; said stopper having an end disposed in said bottle and provided with resiliently inwardly deformable normally outwardly projecting portions; said bottle having internally thereof a shoulder; said resiliently deformable portions of said stopper being in engagement with said shoulder; said end wall having an undersurface and said bottle neck having an end surface disposed in cooperative sealing engagement; means rendering at least a portion of said side wall radially inwardly and resiliently deformable; and cooperative means internally of said side wall and externally of said neck including a thread and means coengageable with said thread for imposing on said stopper a force tending to withdraw the same from said neck responsive to inward deformation of said portion of said side wall and relative rotation of said cap and said bottle, whereby to deform inwardly said portions of said stopper so that the same will pass said shoulder and enter said neck opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,015 8/1939 Webb 2l5-43 3,027,035 3/1962 Farago 2159 3,329,293 7/1967 Baumbach 2159 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner. 

8. IN COMBINATION, A UNITARY SAFETY BOTTLE CAP AND A BOTTLE HAVING A NECK PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING; SAID CAP COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL AND AN END WALL; SAID END WALL INTERNALLY OF SAID SIDE WALL HAVING A CYLINDRICAL STOPPER; SAID STOPPER HAVING AN END DISPOSED IN SAID BOTTLE AND PROVIDED WITH RESILIENTLY INWARDLY DEFORMABLE NORMALLY OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PORTIONS; SAID BOTTLE HAVING INTERNALLY THEREOF A SHOULDER; SAID RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE PORTIONS OF SAID STOPPER BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHOULDER; SAID END WALL HAVING AN UNDERSURFACE AND SAID BOTTLE NECK HAVING AN END SURFACE DISPOSED IN COOPERATIVE SEALING ENGAGEMENT; MEANS RENDERING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SIDE WALL RADIALLY INWARDLY AND RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE; AND COOPERATIVE MEANS INTERNALLY OF SAID SIDE WALL AND EXTERNALLY OF SAID NECK INCLUDING A THREAD AND MEANS COENGAGEABLE WITH SAID THREAD FOR IMPOSING ON SAID STOPPER A FORCE TENDING TO WITHDRAW THE SAME FROM SAID NECK RESPONSIVE TO INWARD DEFORMATION OF SAID PORTION OF SAID 